Concord Grape Muffins

The farmer’s market during the fall months in Michigan are a really special time. Most of the harvest has been completed and the markets have a plethora of fruits and vegetables. Of course there are the winter squashes, root vegetables, apples, and pears; but every now and then you stumble across something new to you. This happened to me a few weeks ago when I was at the market. I came across these gorgeous concord grapes. I thought about what I would be able to makes with the grapes. My first though was something sweet; something that would showcase the grape’s unique flavor. My first thought was to make a slightly sweet muffins with the grapes running through the batter.

These Concord Grape Muffins are the perfect way to highlight the grape without over powering its flavor. The concord grapes melt into the muffin, creating a jam like quality. A delicious muffin that you are just going to love.

Have you ever seeded concord grapes before? This is was my first experience and it took me awhile to seed the grapes. I found that the best way to seed them is to use a paring knife and cut the grape in half; carefully removing the tiny seeds. Some grapes only had two seeds and some had four. It really is important to remove the seeds because the last thing that you want is to bite down on a crunchy seed while you are enjoying your fluffy muffin. This might sound really tedious, but I actually found it kind of therapeutic and relaxing. It’s definitely worth the extra time because the flavor of the concord grapes is unforgettable.

These muffins are light and fluffy with a touch of sweetness. The grapes melt into a jam-like consistency; it’s almost as if grape jelly has been swirled throughout the muffin. A perfect treat for breakfast or a little afternoon pick-up me. If you love grape jelly as much as I did growing up, you are going to love these muffins.

If you find concord grapes in your area, I hope that you try these muffins! If you do, be sure to leave a comment and tag us on Instagram #thymeandlove. We’d love to see what you make!

Concord grapes are the star of these light and fluffy muffins. Serve for breakfast or as an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

Author: Jeni Hernandez

Recipe type: Muffins

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 12 Muffins

Ingredients

8 Ounces Concord Grapes

1 cup Non-Dairy Milk {I used an almond-coconut blend}

2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tablespoon

2½ teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Salt

½ cup Sugar

1 Tsp lemon Zest

¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a muffins tin with paper liners or grease the pan very well.

Using a pairing knife, carefully cut each grape in half. Remove the tiny seeds. They can have between 2-4 seeds. It is ok if the flesh and skins separate from each other. Disregard the seeds and place the seeded grapes in a bowl and the 1 tablespoon of flour and mix. Set aside.

In a small bowl add the milk and vinegar. Set aside to curdle.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk until the ingredients have been throughly combined.

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk and vinegar mixture, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, carefully stir in ingredients together, just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.

Fold in the grapes.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, a little more than ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.